The Writer
by spottedhorse
Summary: Jim has to babysit a mystery writer. He's not happy with the assignment but she is!
1. Chapter 1

She followed the Sheriff through the halls of the LVPD to his office. He talked as they walked, explaining some of their organization. She listened but was observing the officers and detectives as they moved through the halls. Finally in the Sheriff's office, he offered her a seat and settled behind his desk. "So, how can we help you?"

"I'm doing research for my new book. I'd like to shadow one of your detectives," she said.

"Well, I can think of several that would be happy to oblige and could show you how things work."

Looking through the glass wall, she saw one that had caught her attention earlier. He had been standing in another hall, talking to a middle aged man with a beard. Now he was making his way through this hallway, seemingly on a mission. "I want him," she said.

Sheriff Brian Burdick looked at the object of her stare and groaned. "Ah, I'm not so sure…"

"He's perfect, I think."

Burdick sighed heavily and walked across to his door. Opening it, he called into the hallway. "Brass, can I see you a minute?"

Detective Captain Jim Brass followed his boss into the office. His attention was drawn to a 40ish looking auburn haired woman sitting across from the desk. She was eyeing him with interest. Then looking back at the Sheriff he asked, "what's up?"

"Jim, this is Melanie McGraw. She's a writer….mysteries." Then looking at Ms. McGraw, Burdick introduced his detective. "This is Captain Jim Brass." The two strangers acknowledged each other and then Jim looked back at the Sheriff, waiting for more.

Melanie was studying her choice. He was shorter than average and had a compact build. She admired his square shoulders and was intrigued by his blue eyes. He was cagy looking, his eyes taking in everything. She sensed that his mind was always working. And she had the feeling that he would provide everything she needed for her research.

Burdick explained to Brass that she wanted to shadow a detective…research for a new book, he said. Brass absorbed the information and tried not to let his disdain show. He was in the middle of a case and this was the last thing he needed; babysitting some mystery writer. Accepting the inevitable, he turned to Melanie and smiled. "We could go to my office, if you'd like…"

She rose from the chair, thanked Sheriff Burdick for his help, and followed Jim into the hallway. Once they were seated in Jim's office, she smiled at him. "I'm sorry. I understand that you'd rather not be in this position. But I really so need a realistic look at what goes on; not just with procedures, but with the detectives themselves. I saw you in the hall and thought you would be a good resource.

Brass smiled one of his fake smiles at her and sighed. "Look, I'm not sure what you are looking for here. You want to follow a case or are you looking for war stories?" His dislike for this assignment showed in his tone.

"Some of both, plus I needed a model to design my character around."

Jim looked at her in disbelief. "You want to build your character around…me?" he asked incredulously. "Oh, I think there are plenty of detectives around here that would be better for that. We even have a couple of female detectives that would be great for your purposes."

"Oh, but Captain Brass…I want you. I saw you in the hall and asked the Sheriff to give you to me; you know….like a Christmas present." Her tone was teasing, almost suggestive.

"Should I have a bow in my hair?" he smirked.

Melanie chuckled. "A blue one, I think…to go with your eyes.

Jim shifted uncomfortably. He was beginning to like this woman in spite of her reason for being here. Problem was….he was liking her for all the wrong reasons. He sat quietly, studying her for a moment. She was very attractive; her copper eyes were complimented by her hair, her lips also a complimentary shade. And what lovely lips, he thought; full and inviting. He'd had a chance to check her out fully in the hall….nice body, curves in all the right places. Shifting his eyes away from her, he tried to refocus his thoughts.

His perusal of her wasn't lost on Melanie; in fact, she enjoyed it. He had a way of looking at her that was appreciative and very sensual, but didn't feel dirty. Besides, there was something about him that she found incredibly hot. Maybe it was his attitude, or the promise of safety and security in his broad, square shoulders, or perhaps it was simply his eyes….they expressed so much.

Tingles ran through her as her nerve endings came to life. As his eyes came back to her, she felt a flush travel through her, heat rising in her face and flushing through her core. Suddenly she became very aware that she wanted him for something more than research for a book.

Observing other people and their reactions was part of his job. Consequently, her reaction to him wasn't lost on Jim. His own body began to respond to the charged atmosphere, creating restlessness in his muscles. Suggesting that she go with him as he followed a lead on his current case, he led her to his car.

He explained where they were headed as he drove. "Investigating a murder behind a club just off the strip. We're going…or I should say, I'm going to talk to one of the dancers. You can watch and listen but no talking."

Melanie smirked as she listened. His tone was frank and to the point; it also told her just how much he hated having to drag her along. "I promise, I'll be good."

Jim glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. It was going to be a long day, having to keep his thoughts on the job and off of her. He sighed in frustration. Inside, she was grinning at his response to her. This was going to be fun.

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Okay, you like? Suggestions anyone?


	2. Chapter 2

Jim pulled into the parking lot of Udder Delights, their destination. Inside he inquired about one of the dancers, Ginger Cakes. Melanie chuckled to herself at the girl's name. The bartender pointed to a girl that was dancing on the stage, topless with her body wrapped around a pole as she performed various suggestive movements.

Melanie watched Jim as he glanced up at the stage. Antipathy was etched in his time worn features. He was not enjoying the show. On some level that surprised her; she realized that she had made an assumption on a stereotype, something he was not, evidently. "What… not your taste?" she quipped, sorry she had uttered the words as soon as they left her mouth.

He shot her a frosty look and groaned. "No," he replied tersely.

For some reason she found that she was pleased with this discovery. Inexplicably, she had been attracted to him from her first sighting of his compact frame in the halls at LVPD. As she learned more about him, his appeal was growing.

The detective was aware of the appraisal of him that was taking place. Honestly, he had to admit that he was somewhat pleased that she was interested. Dubious that her interest would last however, he remained guarded. Candy was finishing her dance anyway. He moved towards the stage, pulling his badge from his pocket to ensure her attention.

They were led back to an office in the back, where Candy asked what he wanted, eyeing Melanie as she spoke.

Jim went into detective mode and explained that he was investigating the death of Candy Stripes and had some questions. "I understand that you chatted with her just before she left last night."

"Yeah…."

"Talk about anything in particular?"

"Um…she was off a beat in her last dance? Oh, and she was meeting some new guy later."

Jim tilted his head in interest. "New guy? You know who or maybe where she met him?"

Candy spoke coyly, clearing trying to flirt with him. Still topless, she tried to use her upper torso to distract him, inhaling deeply and squaring her shoulders to emphasize her attributes.

Her efforts were wasted on Jim, Melanie noted. He simply stared at the girl, waiting for an answer.

Finally Candy realized that he wasn't going to respond and she decided to co operate. "Yeah, okay. His name is Frank…or maybe Fred. Anyway, she was going to meet him over at his motel, the Desert Inn."

"So, who knew about this…maybe an old boyfriend or something?"

"Boyfriend? Nah….I doubt it. She didn't stay with one guy long enough…. But Curt knew."

"Curt?"

"The club owner. He always seemed to have an eye for Ginger. Always around, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah…yeah, I do." He thanked her for the information and nodded to Melanie, signaling that they were leaving.

Back in his car, she openly scrutinized him. Her look was making him nervous and he squirmed in his seat in response. She smiled, realizing that she was the source of his discomfort. "What?" He finally asked.

"You gay or something?" Again she regretted the words as they slipped from her mouth.

"How'd you guess?" he smirked.

She snickered. "Yeah, right."

"So why the question?" His impatience was showing.

"I'm sorry…it just slipped out. But you were so obviously not interested in what Candy was offering."

"Honey, this is Vegas….it is all out there all the time. After awhile you just don't see it anymore. Besides, when it's offered that easily, it kind of kills the fun."

"So, you like the chase?"

"Hey, it's what I do…chase things. You know, a clue here, a lie there….I'm a detective."

Deciding it was probably time to change the subject, she looked out the window. "Where we going now?"

"The Desert Inn…."

Again her mouth got ahead of her thoughts, "you take all your girls to the best spots or is it just me?"

Jim shot her a deadly look and smirked. "Honey, you're not my girl, so I guess you'll never know."

"So do you have a girl?" She was in full curiosity mode.

"Isn't that a little out of the scope of your research? I mean, I thought you wanted to know how we work cases…."

"I'm sorry if it seemed too personal. But I did say I'm researching for my main character…"

"Oh right….and that's going to be based on me. Maybe you'll get lucky with the book and people will buy it for doorstops then."

"You saying you are not a good model for a protagonist?"

"Hey, I'm boring. Just an ole cop counting down til retirement."

"Hardly," she snickered. "I googled you. You have a very impressive and somewhat colorful record. Shootings, major arrests, big cases, nearly brought down the entire vice squad back in New Jersey…. A real media darling."

"Don't believe everything you read," he shrugged.

"Just one thing….how did you feel after you shot that cop?"

Jim gripped his steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He clenched his jaw to keep from saying the first words in his head in response to her question. Once composed he replied with a question of his own, "how do you think I felt?"

"Guilty," she said simply.

He shrugged again as he turned left at an intersection. "Yeah, well…guilt doesn't begin to describe it." He really didn't want to have this conversation with her.

"But you're living with it." She said it matter of factly, having no idea of how hard living with it was for Jim at times.

"Don't have much choice."

"You could've died…just let go when you got shot. But you evidently fought to stay alive."

Jim sighed. "Is there anything you didn't find out about me?"

"Yeah…why did you leave New Jersey?"

Suddenly Jim realized something. "Wait…you said you googled me. When? I mean, you haven't been out of my sight since we met in the Sheriff's office."

"Okay, I'm busted. I didn't just pick you after seeing you in the hall. I've known about you for awhile. But you are avoiding my question; why did you come out here?"

"Well, now you've asked two different questions. But we're here, so you'll have to wait until I decide if I'm going to answer. In the meantime, I have to work." He looked across the front seat at her as he turned off the ignition. Her face was alive with curiosity, giving her an impish look. Despite her annoying questions, he was beginning to like her, which worried him.

In the office, Jim asked the clerk if there was a Fred or a Frank registered or maybe had checked out the night before. The clerk checked his computer screen and answered. "Frank Tomlinson, but he checked out a few hours ago."

"Okay, give me any information you have on him…."

The clerk wrote down the man's name, an address, and a license plate number and handed it to Jim. He frowned as he took the slip and read it. "Okay, thanks." Then he headed back for the car, not waiting to see if Melanie followed or not.

She knew her questions had bothered him, but she was just now beginning to realize how much. He simply didn't want to talk about his past. She wondered if she would ever get any straight answers from him. As she followed him back to his car, she decided to lay off the Q&A for awhile and try to stay on more neutral ground….lull him and then zing him with more questions.

As they drove back to PD, Jim keep waiting for her to begin the inquisition again. Instead, she talked about Vegas and asked a few questions about the city itself. Jim answered as best he could but really didn't know some of the answers she was looking for.

Back at the station he made a few phone calls and set the wheels in motion to find this Tomlinson guy, if he was still in the city. There were definitely questions that Jim wanted to ask him.

A few minutes later Warrick Brown stuck his head in Jim's door. "Hey Brass, I got some more info on that homicide of yours. Doc says COD was not the stabbing but that she was suffocated….hand over mouth, like he was trying to make her be quiet only it went too far."

"Oh, okay thanks. Any results back on the footprints and the skin under her nails?"

"Nah…Gris has the new girl, Ronnie, going through all the shoes tread data to see if she can find a match to the prints. And Wendy is still working on the skin. I'll let you know."

"Thanks Rick."

Brown headed on down the hall, obviously following up on more than one case.

Melanie watched as he walked down the hall and then turned back to Jim, who was behind his desk. "He one of your detectives?"

"Not exactly. He's over at CSI, one of the science guys."

"Did he work for you then?"

"Oh, here we go again," Jim said sarcastically. "Yeah, he worked for me."

Melanie was surprised by his agitation. She thought it was a simple question. Apparently nothing was simple with this man though.

Jim immediately regretted his sharp tone. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just used to asking the questions…not the other way around, you know."

"Yeah," she responded quietly.

"Hey, how about some lunch? My treat." Jim was trying to make amends.

Melanie smiled. "Okay…. But next time it'll be on me."

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Thoughts? Comments? You like...hate...don't care? The little button is down there somewhere, let me know. Besides, I like reading your suggestions on where the story should go. Does she continue to irritate him? ANd is it true irritation or is it sexual tension? Does she get Jim in the end?


	3. Chapter 3

Jim took her to the diner where he was sure they would run into other cops or some CSIs. He was wrong; evidently everyone else was out working cases. But he had decided to play nice, at least through lunch and so began telling her stories about some of his more unusual cases.

Melanie wanted to hear the stories and sat listening attentively; well, at least until her eyes followed the line of the collar of his jacket. Suddenly an image of her hands slipping under the dark fabric filled her mind. She could almost fell the crispness of his lightly starched shirt beneath her fingertips, the rhythm of his heartbeat, his warmth. Blinking her eyes, she tried to shake the image but instead a warmth crept through her body as she realized how attracted she was to this man. And all she seemed to be able to do was irritate him. That wasn't why she had come here in the first place either. She had sought him out for another reason.

Jim paused in his story and looked at her quizzically. "Hey, you okay?"

"Ah…yeah. Sorry. My mind just wandered off. But I am enjoying your stories. I just…."

"Bored, right?"

"No, not at all. I was just wondering what you were like when you first started in police work; before the job made you cynical."

"First place, I guess I've always been a bit cynical. But seeing the things you see on this job….well, optimism is hard to come by. You start to feel good because you solved one and locked the SOB up and three more calls come your way for crimes that are even worse. It never stops…especially in a place like Vegas."

"So…again, what brought you out here?"

Jim sighed. He supposed he could tell her, at least some of it. "Well, this job is pretty hard on marriages. Mine was in the tank and I was pretty messed up about it. So I thought a fresh start somewhere might help. LVPD was looking for people, so here I am."

"Ever regret it? Moving here, I mean?"

Jim shrugged. "Sometimes I suppose. I had already missed so much of my daughter's life and missed out even more when I moved. But she and I were like oil and water, so I don't know that it would have been any different if I stayed. Things have been decent here. I'm working with some really good people and have some good friends. And the job never gets boring, for sure."

"Ever thought of getting married again?"

"Yeah, I suppose. But I haven't met anyone that I thought could handle the job. It takes a special person to be married to a cop…"

"But some cops manage to stay married all through their careers…"

"Yeah, they do. And let me tell you, it takes hard work on both sides and a lot of understanding. I admire the ones that can make it work. I couldn't." The regret in his voice was heartbreaking.

Melanie decided to try to lighten up a bit. "I imagine the single women of Vegas have been all over you?" she chuckled.

Chuckling Jim answered, "like flies to honey. No, seriously, I'm not exactly the kind of guy women flock to, but I have had a few ….opportunities."

They ate in silence for a few minutes and then Jim looked at her. "So, I have a question."

She looked at him, worried. "Okay…." She answered, wondering what he would ask.

"You obviously knew about me before you came here. How? And why did you come looking for me?"

Melanie knew she was busted. She contemplated how she would answer. Just as she was about to speak, he got a call. Listening to his end of the conversation, she realized that lunch was over. He had a crime to investigate.

"We'll have to finish lunch later," he said as he put away his phone. "There's a murder out in Henderson." He paid the check and then they headed out.

Once they arrived at the scene, he checked with the uniform officers and then turned to her. "I need you to wait in the car."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"The uniforms think the perp is still around. We're going in. I'm leaving a uniform with you, just in case."

Jim and the other officers disappeared into the house, guns drawn and cautious. She sat in the car a few minutes, waiting….impatiently.

Inside the house, Jim moved slowly through the entry and through the rooms. The other two officers fanned out and slowly they made their way through the house. Jim heard a noise toward the back and glanced at the officer to his left, Simmons. He motioned and Simmons moved on his flank as they made their way toward the sound. Entering the kitchen, Jim turned the corner, half expecting the perp to jump out at him. But it wasn't the perp that jumped, it was the family cat. It jumped from the counter down to the nearby table and sat, tail curled in the middle. Jim exhaled and began to look around. Simmons continued through the house.

Making his way along the counter towards the back door, Jim heard the sound again. He turned in the direction of the pantry when he sensed motion behind him. Wheeling around he aimed his weapon and then identified the source of the motion. "I thought I told you to stay in the car," he growled.

"Yeah…but you were taking so long," answered Melanie.

Just then he heard the sound again. He turned to see the pantry door opening and a man charging out. He headed for Melanie. Jim shoved her out of the way and took the force of the man's lunge, knocking Jim to the floor. As he hit the floor he saw the suspect pulling a knife and reaching for Melanie. Jim aimed his gun at the perp and barked, "Gun beats knife every time. Put it down."

The perp stopped and stood frozen a few feet from Melanie. Jim could tell that he was considering a move towards Melanie. "I said _put… it…down_!" Jim had his weapon aimed at the perp's chest.

Simmons ran into the kitchen and stood behind Melanie. The perp looked from Melanie to Jim to Simmons and dropped the knife. Simmons prepared to cuff him as the knife clattered to the floor.

Once he was in custody, Jim grabbed Melanie by the elbow and walked her outside. He was furious with her. "I told you to stay in the car. What's the matter with you? You so curious you're willing to get somebody killed?"

Melanie opened her mouth to talk and then closed it again. Finally she answered meekly. "I'm sorry."

"Well, yeah…" he said disdainfully, "look I'm not willing to get myself shot over your _research_. Maybe you need to find somebody else to ride with."

"No, wait…please. It has to be you…." She pleaded.

Jim did a double take. "What?" he asked incredulously. "No, I don't think I want to hear it. You can watch me do all the paperwork on this down at the station and then maybe I'll listen. Until then, please….just keep you mouth shut."

Melanie nodded. She knew she had stepped way over the line. But she was awestruck; he had put himself between her and the murderer. One the one hand, he was just doing his job. On the other, he was a hero….again. Quietly, she got back into his car and waited patiently for the ride back to the station.

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Okay, is she irritating enough?


	4. Chapter 4

Jim didn't speak to her on the ride back to the station. He wouldn't even look at her. Melanie knew he was still furious. She just hoped she hadn't totally blown it. She was trying to figure out how to fix things with him. But what if he wouldn't listen? After all, he had banned her from even talking.

Once the car was parked, he got out and walked away, just leaving her there. He had been a perfect gentleman before…well, almost perfect. She knew he resented all along having to baby her, but now it was something more. Her actions had put him at risk. She knew she had messed up.

Meekly she followed him into the station and into his office. Quietly she sat on the end of his couch, waiting to see what he would do. His demeanor frightened her, in a way. He took his suit jacket off and threw it over the back of a chair. Abruptly he sat in his chair behind his desk. His eyes darted towards her briefly, a scowl crossing his face before he sighed deeply, rubbed the back of his neck, and then picked up the phone to make a call.

She watched intently for signs that he was about to toss her out. But he didn't. After a brief conversation on the phone, he pulled a file from his drawer and began leafing through it. He settled back into his chair as he began reading the file. The motion of his chest moving up and down beneath his shirt captivated her. Again, images of her hands working their way inside his shirt filled her mind. She had expected to be drawn to the man, just not in this way. Was she just feeling hero worship or was he really that exciting to her?

She was so busy watching the rise and fall of his chest that she didn't notice his surreptitious glances at her. He was trying to figure her out. She had picked him out specifically and he didn't have a clue as to why. But she had gone to a lot of trouble to research him on the internet. He didn't even know there was that much about him out there. He made a mental note to google himself and find out.

Just then, Melanie saw a slender blonde standing in his office doorway. The way she was looking at Jim…there was something going on there. Melanie looked a little closer. The woman appeared to be in her late 30's, had long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore an expression that hinted at amusement. Melanie liked her instantly; she couldn't explain why, but she did.

"Jim?" the woman spoke quietly.

Jim Brass looked up to see Sofia Curtis standing in his doorway. Melanie noted that his expression immediately softened. Yep, definitely something going on there. "Sofie," he answered cheerfully.

"Are you busy…if this is a bad time…?"

"No…come on in." Jim said as he stood up to greet her. He introduced the two women, explaining to each who the other was. Sofia's eyes travelled up and down Melanie's body, appraising. To Melanie's satisfaction, Sofia seemed to find competition in her. She smiled inwardly at the thought; if only Sofia knew how angry Jim was with her.

"So, Sofia…you here for any special reason or did you just come in to make my day," smiled Jim.

Oh he's smooth, thought Melanie. The twinkle in his eye was not lost on her. I wonder just how involved they are, she pondered.

"Ah…need to talk to you about the Perkins case…." The two detectives walked to Jim's desk. Sofia handed him the file and began to explain what she had found. He sat back in his chair as she slid onto the corner of his desk. It was obvious that this was normal between them.

Melanie hadn't moved from her spot. And as involved as they were with the case and with each other, it was apparent that both cops had forgotten her presence in the room. That was okay with Melanie though because it gave her a perfect opportunity to observe Jim in his normal mode; if having a young blonde perched on his desk hanging on his every word was normal. One thing became clear to Melanie as she watched them, however. Whatever they felt for one another, they had not acted on it. There was an invisible line between them that neither seemed willing to cross. She wondered how much longer that would last.

Finally their conversation seemed to wind down. "So Jim, you pulling another double or do you get to go home on time?" asked the blonde.

Jim smiled up at her. "No double….and there's a really good hockey game on tonight."

"Let me guess….the Devils and….anybody." smirked the younger woman.

Jim chuckled. "You know me too well."

Melanie decided to remind them that she was there. "Hey, I have an idea," she chirped.

Two faces turned toward her; both looked stunned that she was there. "Oh?" asked Jim.

"Yeah…I, um…sort of owe you after the mess a made this afternoon. And you said that there were other detectives that could give me perspective; I'm assuming that Sofia is one of them. Why don't we all go to dinner….my treat. I promise, we'll be finished in time for you to get home for the game, Jim."

Sofia turned and looked questionably at Jim. He shrugged after hesitating. "Okay with me…you Sofie?"

Sofia shrugged also. "Yeah, just give me few minutes to wrap things up at my desk. Meet you two back here?"

"Sure," he smiled at her.

Jim drove the three of them to The Bellagio. He decided that if this was Melanie's treat, he was going to make it hurt. After all, she'd been a pain in the ass all day long.

Conversation was awkward at first. Jim was still miffed with Melanie. Melanie was still trying to sort out what she felt about Jim. And Jim and Sofia were all moonie eyed over each other but not willing to admit it. Sofia was wondering what was going on with Melanie.

"So Melanie, you in Vegas for long?" Sofia asked.

"Probably only another day or two. Doing research for my book but I think I have most of what I need." Jim grunted as he sipped his drink.

"What's your book going to be about?" asked Sofia.

"Well, I am a mystery writer…so, a murder mystery. It revolves around a murder at a casino….and the cop that investigates it." She looked at Jim, who just rolled his eyes. "Jim was telling me some good stories at lunch. What about you Sofia? You have any good stories?"

Sofia eyed the woman intently. "Well, let me think a minute….." She paused as her mind wandered back over her time as a detective and at CSI. "Well, if it is casino oriented, there was that one with Charlie Macklin's daughter…you remember Jim, the prom night?"

Jim smiled. "Yeah, that was the night you were messing with Gil's head," he chuckled. "I'll never forget his expression as we were talking about the case and you were changing into overalls there on the balcony. It took him a long time to figure out how to respond to you."

"Gil?" asked Melanie. "Gil Grissom at CSI?"

"Yeah," answered Jim. "He..um, he doesn't do people very well. He watches and understands but doesn't know how to respond. Or he responds in totally the wrong way." Jim chuckled. "But Sofie had him really going that night. Lady Heather is the only woman that I've seen throw him more off balance." Jim paused a minute. "But that's another story…"

Melanie turned back to Sofia. "So what were you doing to him?"

Sofia began her story. "We were at the dinner for Conrad Ecklie….the night his promotion to A.D. became official. Gil was supposed to make a speech when he was paged. So was I. I thought Catherine was going to kill him when he told her to do his speech. Later she showed me the napkin with his speech on it. It said, 'what can I say about Conrad Ecklie?"

Jim laughed, as did Melanie. "Oh, Catherine must have been really pissed at him," commented Jim.

"Oh yeah!" stated Sofia. "Anyway, Gil didn't recognize me in the elevator at first and was totally awkward about it, so I decided to have a little fun at his expense. I talked even more than usual at the scene and was friendly but obnoxious. Changing in front of him like that was just too good of an opportunity. You should have seen him after you left the balcony Jim. I think I said something about still wearing underwear…at least as far as he knew."

Jim laughed at that. "You told me that before but I had forgotten. I wish I had been there to see that."

"Anyway…. The initial investigation was the death of Nicole Jensen. Her father was once the right hand to one of the mob bosses in the early Vegas days. But this looked like drugs and stupid teenager stuff. We started looking for the girl that had the suite, Janelle Macklin, and couldn't find her…." Sofia went onto describe the search for the missing teenager. Jim added his take on the father's attitude and the two fell into an easy retelling of events, one picking up where the other left off. Sofia described her ire when it was discovered that Janelle had set the whole thing up and nothing else was being done to locate the girl. Then she was found dead in the trunk of her car.

"And in the end," concluded Jim, "Macklin had lost his daughter because all the time she had been crying out for attention he the dumbass wouldn't listen. I still don't think he got it, even in the end."

Melanie noted the sadness on both faces as they recalled the senseless death. True, the girl had done it to herself, but still… The trio sat in silence for a moment

"What's the craziest case you've ever worked?" asked Melanie. The two detectives looked at one another. Finally Jim spoke, "Happy Morales."

Sofia chuckled. "It was your case, Jim. You have to tell the story."

Jim launched into his storytelling mode, explaining the various wounds and afflictions visited on the boxer in one night at the Sugar Cane Ranch. "It was the damndest thing," he commented. "I'd just be getting a suspect to confess and Doc Robbins would call and tell me they couldn't have done it because whatever they had done to Happy wasn't the COD. Gil surprised me on that one though. He had us listening to a conversation between Binky and Doris. They were talking in a room that was wired for surveillance. Gil convinced me that it would be admissible in courts since they could have no expectation of privacy."

"That sounds more like your kind of reasoning than his, Jim," commented Sofia. "You must be rubbing off on him."

Jim smirked, "yeah…maybe."

The conversation continued for a few more minutes and then Melanie excused herself to go to the ladies room. She wanted to give Jim and Sofia a few minutes to themselves.

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So, we have Jim with two ladies...Hum, wonder what happens next? Reviews and suggestons are always welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

Melanie returned to the table to find Jim and Sofia laughing over somebody named Greg. Apparently he had done something funny at Sofia's crime scene that day and she was telling Jim about it. They were still smiling when she sat down; their obvious enjoyment of each other's company lighting their eyes.

"So, what's the worst case you've ever worked?" Melanie continued with her questioning.

The mood shifted and the two detectives became somber. Melanie noticed a look that Jim shot to Sofia, almost a warning. Sofia nodded as the two quietly communicated and Melanie realized there was a case that neither wanted to talk about. Finally Jim spoke up. "Well, it would be hard to name just one…but I think, for me it was the kidnappings."

Sofia nodded in understanding as Jim continued. "First it was Nick and then Catherine's daughter, and then Sara. All of them took a piece of me."

Melanie looked at Jim, waiting for further explanation. "Nick is one of the CSIs. He was under me when I was over there. All around good guy. Catherine is also a CSI…well, so is Sara for that matter. But Catherine's father was one of the casino kings and had rumored ties to the mob, although I never believed it. Sam Braun didn't need the mob. Lindsey's kidnapping was a ploy to get at him. That was a tough one. And Sara….she almost died out in that desert. Yeah, those three hit the closest to home for me."

Sofia looked at him quietly, nodding as she remembered each case. Then she looked at Melanie. "Well for me, it wasn't even one that I worked. It was the one when Jim got shot. We almost lost him. We were all walking on eggshells, afraid to breathe. Every time the phone rang I nearly jumped out of my skin. But we still had to keep working the other cases…." She looked across at him, tears threatening in the corners of her eyes. Jim looked back at her, his eyebrow slightly raised. "Sofie…I never knew…." he said softly.

Melanie had the sense of being on the outside looking in. She was witnessing what should have been a very private moment between them and for once she had the sense to keep her mouth shut. These two were finally discovering just how deep their feelings went.

Finally Sofia became aware of their surroundings and looked at Melanie, embarrassment in her eyes. "ah…so why did you pick Vegas, Melanie?"

"The casinos," she replied.

"Yeah, and why me?" joined in Jim.

Melanie looked at him for a moment and then launched into a story of her own. "About twenty five years ago, a young detective was called to a crime scene…a domestic violence/double homicide case. When he arrived at the house, he found two dead bodies and three children; the oldest was a daughter, 14. The dead bodies were the parents." Melanie paused to see how Jim reacted but he was looking at her blandly.

"After his initial inspection of the scene he began interviewing the children, beginning with the oldest. She was scared out of her mind and barely responsive but he was very gentle and patient with her. She explained how the father had come home drunk and gotten angry with the mother. In his anger, he began beating her; not the first time, explained the daughter. The children had retreated to their rooms as the mother went about cleaning up the mess made by her beating. The father sulked for awhile."

Melanie paused again when she saw a slight flicker play across Jim's face.

The 14 year old was in her room when the father came in. The girl shared her room with her younger sister, who was nine. The little sister was ready for bed and reading a book. The father walked to the bed. The older girl had thought he'd come for her but she realized that this time the father was there for the younger girl. She began screaming at him and he turned, slapping her across the room. The door opened as the eldest daughter hit the floor. The mother entered, a gun in her hand. Everyone in the room knew that the mother had finally had enough and she was going to end it right there. But she hesitated just long enough and the father lunged for her, knocking her to the floor and the gun went spinning across the floor into the hall."

"Then the father began beating the mother, rage pouring out of him. The older girl carefully collected the younger one and they fled the room, running into their 12 year old brother in the hall. The three stood, listening to the beating, understanding that this would be the last night that their father beat their mother. The son saw the gun on the floor and picked it up. It was heavy and it took two hands to hold it. Slowly he walked to the door of the bedroom and raised it. Pointing it at his father, he fired twice. One shot went into the wall but the second one hit the man dead center in his chest. He fell to the floor, dead before he got there. The mother looked up at her children and smiled as she breathed her last breath."

"A neighbor heard the shots and called the police. A black and white was the first to arrive, the officer sickened by what he found. The young detective was the next one to talk to the children." She paused again, looking Jim's way.

"Oh my god," he said. "Melanie…you were the older one. Myra…that was your sister. And your brother, he was Mark."

Sofia looked from Melanie to Jim, a frown forming on her forehead. "You were the detective," she stated.

"Yeah," he answered, stunned.

"He was more than a detective that night. He kept us together, understanding that we needed each other. And he took care of us. Although he did have to ask questions, he was very gentle….kind. And he gave us time to cry and deal with it all. When he realized that they were about to take my parents out on the stretchers, he hustled us to the kitchen so we wouldn't see. The paramedics came to check us out and he stood over us, making sure no one upset us further. Child Services came and he chewed out the woman because she threatened to separate us. His supervisor showed up and wanted him to arrest my brother but Jim wouldn't do it. He told the supervisor that if Mark was arrested, he's make sure that every newspaper for 100 miles heard about how the boy was being arrested for saving his sister's lives. And he'd make sure that the papers knew who ordered the arrest."

"That sounds like Jim," commented Sofia.

"The next day Mark was arrested and charged through the juvenile system. Jim came to his hearing and testified. We all think it was Jim's testimony that kept Mark out of jail…or juvenile detention. And for a full year after, Jim checked in on us at our foster home to be sure we were okay; that we were being treated well and getting the counseling we needed." Melanie paused, fighting back tears. "We were in foster care because none of our family wanted us; not our grandparents, aunts or uncles. For long time Jim was the only one that seemed to care about us. Then our foster parents decided to adopt us and we moved to upstate New York."

"It could have gone so differently if another cop had shown up that night. But it was Jim. And because of him, we all managed to become reasonably stable adults. I'm a writer and making good money at it. Mark is a cop in Virginia. And Myra is happy as a wife and mother, back in Jersey. She named her son after Jim. Mark has a family too. He says he became a cop because he wanted to honor Jim; to make a difference like Jim had."

"It took me years to track him down. And I am writing this character in my next book as a way of honoring him myself. But there is another reason I came, Jim. To thank you; to tell you what a difference you've made in my life; to tell you that your life matters."

Jim sat, looking totally embarrassed. Sofia was looking at him with tears in her eyes. Melanie could tell she wanted to reach for him, touch him; but he wouldn't have been able to handle it just then. Sofia understood that and held off.

"And after spending the day with you, I know one other thing I want to do. I am arranging a vacation for you, Jim. I'll have the information sent to you at your office and let you decide when to use it. I'm thinking Aruba, but if there is someplace else you'd rather go?"

Still in shock, Jim shook his head negatively. "No…Aruba sounds nice. But …"

"No arguments. And one other thing….Sofia is going with you."

It was Sofia's turn to be shocked. "What? Me? Why?"

Melanie looked from Jim to Sofia. "Because it's obvious that you two need to spend some time together, alone. You need the time and the place to discover what it is you truly feel about one another. Aruba should be far enough away from Vegas to do that."

Jim looked up at her and then at Sofia. "Really Melanie, you don't need to do this. I was just doing my job. And….Sofie might not want to go, with me I mean." His expression was changing from one of embarrassment to shyness.

Sofia looked at him and smiled. "Sofie hasn't had a vacation in a long time. And Aruba sounds like fun, especially if it is in the company of a hero."

Later that week an envelope sat on Jim Brass's desk. He opened it and found all the arrangements for his vacation in Aruba; his and Sofia's. Everything was covered, from plane tickets to hotels to meals and sightseeing. It was several months before they were able to use the tickets, but Jim and Sofia eventually did. They got on the plane as friends and came back a couple.

About a year after Melanie's visit, another package appeared on his desk. Opening it he found her latest novel. He leafed through the book and settled at the dedication page. It read:

_There are so many heroes out there wearing badges. This book is dedicated to one in particular. Thank you, Jim, for the difference you made in my life and the difference you continue to make everyday in the lives of others._

She had signed it underneath the dedication.

_To my hero,_

_Melanie_

Jim smiled. Turning to the first page, he sat down as he began to read.

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This story started out with the intention to go in a very different direction. But your comments made me rethink it. But then I had trouble figuring out the ending. I hope you like the results:-) As always, your thoughts are desired.


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